Artist Trading Cards

At the September Conversations-in-Cloth Meeting, we did an Artist Trading Card swap. We could use any technique we wanted as long as the end product was 3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches.

Here's a sampling of what was traded that night (and what I brought home) :


by Karen


By Lois


Felted ATCs by Lynda

I made a sheet of "composed fabric" with yarns and scraps and extras like dyed/painted cheesecloth fused to a wool felt base.


I cut them down to size and satin-stitched the edges :


One the back of each card, I wrote the following :

By Michele Matucheski
My email address
CinC Swap
September 2009
My Signature and the ATC Number

Since only 4 of 14 CinC Members were able to attend this meeting, I've got several cards left to trade. So let me know if you're interested in trading ATCs with me. ;-)

Washing Wool (again)

This is some of the other fleece I bought last fall. I finally got around to washing it this week.
I love the creamy color and luster of this wool! Mmmmh!

The "sunt" (the yellow and brown sheep sweat and lanolin at the tips of the locks) did not completely dissolve in 2 rounds of hot soapy water. I think our hot water wasn't hot enough ... sometimes the energy-saving measures are not appropriate for all situations.

I think it will be okay. Once I get to carding this wool, that lanolin will break up and be enough "grease" to make spinning pleasant--otherwise the fibers can get very dry.

Millifiore Quit-Top

I finished this quilt-top for my husband. He says it looks like Millifiore glass, hence the name. Like all my quilts, it's been a few years in the making, and it may be a few more years until I get it quilted. You can look back at some of the possible block layouts I was contemplating many moons ago.

This is the 4-Patch Stacked Posey pattern. You can see the border fabric is what I used to make the great variety in the center blocks. Every one is different. It keeps me from getting bored with the too many of the same blocks. ;-)

Here's a detail of one of the blocks along with the border fabric.
I even managed to do some decent mitered corners on this one.

Any ideas on how to quilt it? Any ideas for a title?

New Journals

Rusted Fabric Journal with Flap





Another Rusted Fabric Journal



Silk Paper Journal (Blue)



Soy Silk Paper Journal :



Japanese Paper colored with MoonShadow Inks :

September Parfait Dyes

Parfait Dye of Mulberry and Bronze on mercerized cotton print cloth (Dharma)




Teal with a touch of Purple








All of these are just yummy! I can't decide if it's the mercerized cotton cloth that made the colors so bright or the brand new dye. In any case, I'm glad I didn't wait for snow!

Dharma Blues (and Greens and Purples)

My friend, Lynda and I went in on a big Dharma order. Together, we ordered several 8-oz. jars of the basic mixing colors. By splitting these ourselves, (we each get 4-oz), we figure we're getting 4-oz for the 2-oz price. This way, we also split the shipping costs as well. $15 shipping looks a lot better than $30!

Along with the new dyes, I also stocked up on fabric to dye, including 2 "blank" dresses.

On Friday, I thought I had a plan for both of them, but on Saturday, I felt struck with "dyer's block:" so many colors--so many options. I wanted these dresses to come out as something I'd actually be comfortable wearing, not mud.

I finally decided on some colors : Teal Blue, Leaf Green, and Purple squirted onto a "lumpy pancake" crinkle rayon dress that had been soaked in soda ash water :







Here's the 2nd dress in Teal Blue and Sky Blue :


I thought I'd have to do some alterations on these dresses, they were just a little too big before I washed and dyed them. They shrank to just about the right size. Hurray! Would you believe this long dress is easy to bike in?

Yeah--I know my parents are saying I'm some kind of Flower Child from the 60s.

Flower Pounding at the Children's Garden

Phil-on-the-corner is a Master Gardener who runs a Children's Garden in the neighborhood every summer. He wants to instill a love of gardening (along with the skills to do it) in kids. Every week, all summer, they do a different activity related to the garden from planting to weeding to harvesting to to cooking their bounty to making bird houses, scarecrows, or rain barrels. I offered to lead a flower pounding activity this month.

We brought the following :
Prepared fabric (pre-soaked in a solution of water with soda ash and alum)
-Cut into 10-inch squares
Flowers and crab apples
Hammers
Clear Packing Tape
Boards to pound on


People went right to work choosing and laying out their flower petals.
We taped them down with clear packing tape (which makes it easier to see what you need to pound), and people started hammering.



Once the color is transferred from the flower to the fabric, the tape (with spent flowers) can be peeled off, leaving the flower-pounded fabric. Here are some of the results from this night's work :


A few people decided to spell out names : Ginger + Phil (above)

Addison (below)




Here's Phil, our Master Gardener with his work of art.


Here's Jenny with one of her pieces.


CL did this one. Some of his petals made a perfect transfer!



Here are some pictures from when Oliver and I tried Flower Pounding a few years ago :

Laying out the flowers.


Pound-Pound-Pound


Really--even a kid can do it!

An Earthy Departure : Ned Plates

In June, we were in PA visiting CL's relatives. His cousin happens to be Ned Folz of Folz Pottery in Reinholz, PA. That day in June, Ned and his lovely wife Gwen were hosting a studio day where they invite the public in to design a plate. Ned provides a wet clay plate covered with a traditional yellow wash. The scraffito (sp?) technique requires the maker to scratch off the yellow not wanted. When it's they way you want it, Ned will fire it, and you can come back to get your plate at a later date.



I did the Toes Like Crunchy Peas at the top of this post.


Oliver did his rendition of fighting dragons (below) in honor of Dungeons & Dragons. CL added the chain link border. Oliver thinks someday he'll be a potter in his spare time like I'm a quilter.



Here is the family : CL's dad, Ned, Romaine, Gwen, and CL.